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The burly man took a moment to steady himself and glanced at Alex. Now that he knew Alex was the real owner, he thought things would move on smoothly. In his mind, he was sure that a weakling like Alex would never stand a chance against him.

"Hm…" He grunted before turning to Alex. 

"Owner? What owner?" the burly man retorted, his voice provocatory. "This land belongs to the Noble Trader Association. We acquired it from the previous owner in recognition of the assistance we rendered." His massive frame advanced, his eyes ablaze with anger as he confronted Alex.

"What exactly is the Noble Trader Association?" Alex inquired undeterred by the stature of the burly man. He paid little to no mind to the man's provocation. Instead asked for more information.

"Are you looking down on the Noble Trader Association? Who isn't aware of us? We are the saviours of Thira. When the city was ablaze and people were dying, we stepped in to secure and distribute food, donating everything we could to save lives and alleviate the destruction. In the aftermath of the cruel conflict, we even funded the rebuilding effort of the city. Thira and the thousand-headed serpent tribe owe us eternal gratitude" The burly man said in an offended tone. He was exasperated when he saw someone that couldn't recognise the Nobel Trader Association. 

"The saviours of Thira? Ah! It's all coming back to me now," Alex recollected the memory. "You were the ones who ensured a steady supply of food to Thira," he added, a tinge of bitterness creeping into his voice. 

It was this very association that led to the nullification of his contract with the Thousand-headed Serpent tribe, which had demanded food in exchange for land. They stole the pie from right under his nose.

Although Alex was regretful about his failure in acquiring the land, he didn't dwell on it. In a business deal, it was normal for the parties involved to have a change of heart. Besides that, he was the one that broke the contractual condition first. He recognised the fact that he was unable to provide the grains at the stipulated time.

When someone else stepped in to provide food for the entire city, The thousand-headed serpent tribe might not have had any other choice. 

"So, why is someone from the Nobel trader association claiming my land as your own." Finally, Alex asked the question.

"It is an undeniable truth that this land rightfully belongs to us," the burly man declared, presenting a document. "Take a look at this section. It explicitly states that the land stretching from here to there is under our ownership. You have three days to evacuate these premises. And if you choose otherwise..." The burly man menacingly mimicked a knife slashing across his throat, leaving no room for misunderstanding. His intentions were as clear as day - if Alex refused to comply, his life would be in grave danger.

It was an ultimatum, presented with such haste that Alex hardly had a chance to read the deed properly. Nevertheless, he astutely discerned the truth within seconds. It was nothing but an elaborate scam.

Was the Noble trader association part of this scam or is the burly guy alone? Alex was not sure of this. But he had a feeling that something bad was going on in this city.

The thousand-headed serpent tribe was the one that was supposed to maintain deeds and legally distribute land in their region. Unless they had gross dereliction of duty, a scam like this would not work.

'What in the hell is happening inside the city? How come no one is saying anything about it?' Alex thought.

He was in Thira to find clues regarding the evil organisation. If nothing comes up during his investigation, he was even willing to travel to the western continent. However, before he could think about any of that, a new problem seemed to have emerged in front of him.

"Heed my warning and leave." After saying that, the burly man went away.

"Arav, do you know why they need this land?" Alex asked Arav who was standing beside him.

"They have been buying up any land they could get their hands on. Now, most of the area around the city is in their control."

"Around the city? Are they buying the land inside the city?" 

"No, their focus lies primarily on the land surrounding the city. The Noble Trader Association has garnered immense goodwill in Thira, and as a result, most people willingly sell their land to them. They are regarded as the saviours of the city, and the residents trust their intentions. The Association is willing to invest generously to acquire the land, and only a handful refuse their offers when their homes are in ruins. For those individuals that are willing to sell their land, the money obtained from selling the land represents a chance at financial stability in these uncertain times. It becomes the best option they can hope for." Arav explained.

"So, to sum it up. The Noble Trader Association has set their eyes on the land around the city. They tried to not make the rich people enemy by not buying valuable land inside the city. But they are aggressively buying the land of the poor that surrounds the city by making use of their plight. Isn't that right?" Alex easily unveiled the hidden face of the Noble Trader Association. 

"Hm!" Hearing Alex's words, Arav suddenly realised the situation. 

"Doesn't the Thousand-headed Serpent tribe take any action against them?" Alex questioned, perplexed by the tribe's apparent lack of insight. From his perspective, it was clear that the Noble Trader Association was far from trustworthy. How could the tribe not see through the deceit?

'The Noble Trader Association was an even worse scammer than me. That in itself says volumes about them. They tried to take a mile when they were given an inch. Should I aspire to do business like them?' Alex's thoughts oozed sarcasm. 

"If truth be told, they don't seem to care. This doesn't affect them. They are stronger and more affluent than the commoners. The commoner are from scattered tribes, they don't have a voice in this city, like me and my sisters." Arav expressed his thoughts.

Alex nodded in silence, his expression gloomy. The weight of the situation settled upon him, casting a sombre atmosphere.

Seeing Alex like that, Arav was scared. After his parents' untimely demise, they settled into this place. This was their new home. Even his sisters were beginning to open up to him slowly. However, one more sudden change might turn all that upside down.

It may even push his family beyond redemption. He didn't want to see that. So, Arav desperately wanted Alex to keep the land and the house as it is.

It took Alex a moment to realise that three pairs of beady eyes were looking at him with expectation. The children even had tear drops forming in their eyes. 

Alex couldn't bear to see that. His heart melted away when he saw the kids' teary eyes. Their distress was evident in their body language.

"Don't worry. No one is going to take this land away from us. I will not let them take it away." Alex decided at that moment. He bought the land fair and square, there was no reason for him to give up the ownership to some scammers.

Those words relieved the tension in the air. 

—--------

A few hours later, Alex headed towards Thira, making his way to the branch of the spice garden he established in the city. Initially intended to be a fried chicken shop, it had now been converted into a discreet little store within the city.

This shop specialized in the wholesale spice trade, featuring the spices that Alex produced. These spices were sourced from the interdimensional farm. 

This shop is also managed by Dhairya under the umbrella of the Spice Garden. But unlike the shop in Blue gem city, this shop doesn't sell the grains and vegetables produced by the stone head tribe. 

Alex only exported products from the interdimensional farm. 

By the time Alex arrived at the shop, it was already noon. He discreetly entered, careful not to reveal his identity as the owner. Due to the strict management, even he, the owner had to take out a letter from Dhairya to enter the shop.

After that, he met the manager of the shop.

"Give me the summary." He stated calmly.

The manager, without skipping a beat began to talk about the incidents that happened in the city. It included details regarding the business in the city. The traceable flow of wealth. Major crimes and other things that happened in the city.

"That's all there is to report." The manager, the young man not older than twenty said. Having fulfilled his job, he exited the room leaving behind Alex to think on his own.

For those who didn't understand.

There was a reason for the  Spice Garden to be small and inconspicuous. It was a front to Alex's very own information-gathering organisation. It was actually a Spies Garden. 

[A/N: Don't mention it.]